Implants are used in medical applications for implantation in an animal body and/or human body permanently or at least for an extended period of time to perform replacement functions. Valve implants are known, for example, such as aortic valve implants that perform the function of the natural aortic valve.
Methods are known, for example, in which the diseased cusp is clamped between an arm of the implant and the aortic wall and, after the implant structure has been expanded, the valve implant assumes the position of the natural aortic valve. A valve implant of this type in the form of an artificial aortic valve is known e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,312. The implant includes elastic structures such as arms and a circular collar which expand to form a circular shape upon implantation, thereby anchoring the implant using its forces that act on the aortic wall.
A problem that occurs frequently with cardiac disease is calcification i.e. the deposition of calcium salts, in particular calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite), on the structures of the heart. In fact, aortic stenosis that is calcified in a highly asymmetric manner occurs particularly frequently. Implanting a circularly expanding aortic valve implant into a stenosis that has calcified in this manner causes the stent body to deform, resulting in suboptimal functioning of the cusp. This manifests in the form of poorer pressure gradients and a shorter service life of the valve. Furthermore, self-expandable stents show premature signs of fatigue.